Located somewhere between a fling, “it’s complicated” and a relationship lies the concept of unfinished business. At one point or another, we all come to recognize the almost-relationships we have had that fall under this category. These tend to be those over which we obsess, can’t seem to drop or drag on before progress is made in the relationships – or in some cases, all of the above.

In many ways, unfinished business is pausing on what could be and moving on for the time being by accepting the loose end of an inconclusive relationship. This could be for many reasons – from bad timing to a lack of ability to commit. However, there’s a clear distinction to be made. 

 Unfinished business isn’t burying emotions. Buried emotions come out in ugly ways, such as the drunk text to the ex we just aren’t over. Unfinished business is keeping the feelings at bay. However, therein lies the question: at what point are we supposed to let go of our feelings and leave it entirely in the past? Is unfinished business healthy, or is it prolonging the agony that we just don’t want to let go of yet?

Perhaps what causes the transition from cute to ugly is when we ignore our feelings in order to leave things purposefully unresolved. At a certain point, we may continue to involve ourselves for the sake of the game. It’s some twisted form of emotional masochism – the continuation of the feelings, constantly being undefined, the persistent lacking of a conclusion. It leaves you wanting more and dealing with the unpredictability of the future. It’s an addiction, and I have to wonder, at what point do we call it quits? Is there a healthy balance between holding out for something that might be worth our time and moving on before the undefined matter turns into a toxic obsession? After all, the saying “only time can tell” only goes so far. For some, there’s a lesson to be learned in being a “loose end” and leaving it all up to the tricks of time. For others, there’s a lesson in choosing between waiting for the text or call that might never come, or moving on and accepting the fact you once had something, albeit undefined and in the past – for now. 

It’s January. That means the charming frost that sprinkled the holiday season has reached new heights of inconvenience. Snow is no longer a novelty, but rather a fluffy, white constant that makes you look like you have scalp issues. But this is nothing compared to snow’s wily sidekick: ice.

Ice is literally always trying to bring me down. Whether it’s the arctic Slip ’N Slide also known as Broad Street or that shady area around Frank and Stillman that seems too vertical to be fun (safe?). It’s a classic tale of “Man vs. Wild,” though maybe adapted to the 21st century to become “girl vs. icy concrete.” During one memorable finals week commute to the library, I inched down the steep hill to the fifth floor with geriatric caution. I got about halfway down and started feeling pretty good about myself. Still, I kept my head down and chuckled at the pair of grip-less Timberlands belonging to the guy in front of me as he braced himself for a potential downfall. Before I knew it, I made it to the bottom without being covered in snow and bruises. It was the beginning of a beautiful day.

I wish the story ended there, but like most Indiana Jones-esque tales of wild adventure, it does not. I opened the door to the library with the enthusiasm of 1,000 first-years. Eager to attack my studies and flying high from my dancer-like grace that kept me upright, I walked down the stairs only to meet my downfall. As if the floor was lovingly coated with a generous helping of butter, I slipped down not one or two but at least FOUR steps of the fifth floor staircase. As minor injuries go, this one was pretty traumatic. Still, I pulled myself up from my bootstraps (probably where the expression came from) and tried to reclaim my body that all forms of H2O were so intent on destroying.

The girl next to me asked “Are you okay?” and even though my mouth said, “Yeah, haha, happens all the time!” my heart said, “I think every bone is broken in my entire body. I need to go to a hospital now before I collapse into dust.”

Unsuprisingly, the latter did not happen. After inspecting my wounds in a library carrel and copious WebMD searches, I was disappointed to find the outcome of my fall to be “bruising and discoloration.” Though I still proceeded to text “I think I broke my arm” to most of my recent contacts, it appeared the greatest damage was to my ego.

When it comes to facing the elements, we as humans are weak and puny and don’t stand a chance. We stand so mighty, on our elevated surfaces in our Patagonia Snap-Ts yet nature finds a way to make snowy fools of us all. When it comes to fighting the ice around us, it seems the best offense is a good defense. Walk slow, potentially acquire some crampons and if and when you fall, don’t worry – from there, the only way to go is up.

UNITED WE STAND: On both sides of the political spectrum, President Obama’s address was decidedly optimistic. 

This summer, thousands of children flooded the United States’ southern borders, looking for escape and asylum from violence in their home nations. For a while, it seemed like politicians would have no choice but to address the ever-looming question of immigration. Immigration is usually a hot-button issue in elections, as Democrats try to attack a well-known GOP voting demographic soft point. As the races for the Midterm elections heated up, the flooding of underage children further ignited the immigration debate. President Obama pledged to deal with the issue. Obama has failed to inspire and unite Congress over immigration, instead putting off the issue until after the elections. Now, Obama is remarking that he will move forward with an Executive Action plan on Immigration. This move is irresponsible and transparent.

If the recent midterm elections reflected one thing, it is the public’s current displeasure with the President. Obama’s current approval rating is low, around 42 percent. Many of the headlines after the midterms pointed to Obama’s obliviousness to the public’s want and his unsuccessful bolster of Democratic candidates. The President does not seem to be listening to what the country wants. Instead, he seems persistent on advancing his own agenda. His recent statements on continued plans to move forward with Executive Action on immigration only add to this obliviousness.

On November 4, people voted for change. The GOP takeover surpassed expectations, sounding off a strong message of change. Now holding both the Senate and House of Representatives, the GOP leadership will get ready to work. Both Speaker of the House John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell emphasized a need for Washington to get back to work. Not even three weeks after the election, President Obama is choosing to sidestep Congress. This is not Washington getting down to business – this is just politics as usual. Not enough time has even passed for a real attempt at bipartisanship within the split government. Obama is turning a blind eye to the concerns of the citizens and leadership of the Congress. Instead, he will deal with immigration reform on his own, through executive action. 

This plan is irresponsible and the President’s motives are transparent. It is not news that the Democrats like to characterize the GOP as the “do nothing” party. Obama’s insistence on using executive actions totes this line. Instead of first attempting to work with Boehner and McConnell, Obama turned his back on the democratic process. Obama is binding the GOP’s hands by refusing to work together. Obama was elected on a message of hope. By saying he will go it alone on immigration reform, he is saying there is no hope, at least not in the way of bipartisan reform. 

President Obama should be wary. If his plan to get immigration reform through fails, minority voters could end up feeling isolated from the Democratic Party. The Obama Administration cannot afford to keep leaving promises unfulfilled. A failure here would be due to an ineptitude in bipartisan cooperation. In the aftermath, the President can be viewed as an obstructer, rather than the obstructed. None of these scenarios are positive for the President. Surely, the Obama Administration does not want to see the President’s polling numbers dip any lower. 

Where there is currently a political storm brewing, there could be a moment of brightness for both President Obama and the GOP. President Obama could still change his tone. He could back away from the executive order route, instead extending an olive branch to the GOP leadership to find a solution together. The Republican leadership should take this opportunity as well. Instead of sitting back and watching the President flounder, they could set their own plan. 

The American dream is something that should be alive for all. The issues at our borders are important and deserve the thought and diligence of all our elected officials, not just President Obama. This moment could be a real start for the GOP to work on their demographic issues, by putting forth sensible yet compassionate legislature. By no means is this out of the GOP’s reach. 

We are now far from the summer months that first saw an extreme increase in the number of undocumented children crossing our borders. While our country still faces challenges, the recent election brings hope of progress for the country. The President should meet Congress with an open invitation to work together. Unfortunately, President Obama’s message has been the opposite. 

Maybe, just maybe, Obama will be in the holiday spirit and give the country the gift of bipartisan action, instead of moving forward with his plan of executive action. It would be a gift that the entire nation could enjoy.